Forbidden Love
by fangirlingsohardidie
Summary: What happens when Katniss Everdeen falls for Cato a career? Will he return her love or will he murder her brutally in, The Hunger Games.
1. Chapter 1

I woke in sweats. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to my surroundings. The walls were a dark brown, nearly a black. I turned to my bedside table and switched the lamp on. I moved my toes around as they touched the carpet. The carpet was extremely soft. I couldn't sleep. It was the day before we were to go into the games. The dreaded games. I knew that if I didn't get any sleep then I would be killed straight away. Thinking about that kept me awake even more.

Here in the Capitol we could have anything but when it came to tablets I wasn't allowed them. They just didn't understand my pain. I decided to talk a walk and get some air from the stuffy room. I pulled my cardigan on and left the room.

It was cool in the hall. I spotted something on the window sill. As I got closer I realised it was Peeta. After our earlier fallout due to him wanting to train alone. I didn't know if he wanted to speak to me. He looked up when he saw me stood looking down at him. 'You too?' He asked as I sat down across from him. I nodded. He looked out of the window and I admired his beauty. His blond hair fell perfectly. The boy with the bread. He would take me away anytime. He could marry me and we go just like life peacefully. It was more than that though. Kill or be killed was the motto of the games.

'They are cheering for us.' He said, looking into the distance. I looked out of the window too. I could hear a distant cheering. I could also see different coloured lights. It was pretty. Being in the penthouse had its advantages. You could see the whole of the Capitol. Although I hated the Capitol I must admit that it was beautiful and still is. The place is beautiful but the people themselves were monsters. Big, ugly, stupid monsters.

'I want to die myself.' He turned to me and caught my eye. 'Does that make any sense?' He asked. I shook my head. How could he die as anyone but himself? 'I don't want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I'm not.' I bit my lips, his words were touching me. I wanted to comfort him, tell him that it was alright.

'Do you mean you won't kill anyone?' I asked. The guilt was killing me. Punching him was not a good move, it would have made him hate me more.

'No when the time comes, I'm sure I'll kill just like everybody else. I can't go down without a fight. Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to show the Capitol that they don't own me. That I'm not just a piece in their games.' I gulped and looked away.

'I can't think like that Peeta.' My thoughts then turned to Prim. At that moment I wanted to contact her and ask if mother was actually taking care of her. I wanted to tell Prim that I would fight. She would have seen my interview. In that interview I wasn't the best with confidence. I made myself look weak. Look like an easy target.

I spend the rest of the night dipping into sleep. When the sun rises I drag myself from the bed. I was nervous. All I could think about was the setting in which the arena was. I needed that to help me in some way.

I was followed by two peacekeepers as I strolled down the hall and to the plane. My heart was racing. Haymitch met me in front of the plane for a pep talk. 'You will do great sweetheart.' He was sober for once. I tried to give him a smile but I couldn't manage it. 'Just fight sweetheart. Fight and you will have a chance.' He pulled me in and we stood hugging for a few seconds before they pulled me away to the plane.

It was a very modern plane. All of the tributes were sat in seats. Distance sat across from me. She looked petrified. A woman stopped by every tribute and said the same thing, 'Give me your arm.' When she stopped by me I kept my arm. 'Give me your arm.'

'What is that?' I asked holding my arm. She picked up my arm and inserted something into it. It stung.

'It's your tracker.' She said before going into the next tribute.

The ride lasted for around a half hour. I climbed down the ladder and was met by Cinna. He then escorted me to a small room where my coat hung and a glass tube stood. He closed the door and I fell into him warm arms. 'I'm scared.' I managed to say wearily.

One minute. I gulped time was going too fast. Peeta. My mind raced. Prim. Forty seconds. Gale. Thirty seconds. 'Katniss you have to be strong.' He walked me over to the tube and helped me in. Twenty seconds. The tube closed. I went into shock. Cinna had a grim expression. Fifteen seconds. The tube moved and I watched Cinna disappear.

Ten seconds. I looked around at the arena. Forest. I took a deep breath.

Eight. I looked to the cornucopia. My eyes dashed from each item. I stopped on the bow.

Seven. I looked to Peeta, he was next to Cato. Cato stared at me. He was probably working me out, my weaknesses.

Six. Peeta was mouthing something to me. 'Don't go for the bow.' I didn't need him to tell me what to do. I needed the bow to survive.

Five. I was shaking.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

The gong. I ran forward. Cato was running towards me. I spotted a orange back pack and ran for it, forgetting the bow. What did Cato want. He wanted to kill me. After what I had said at the interview he probably wanted to kill me.

I had told the whole of Panem that I loved him. After the interview he had kissed me. But we hadn't spoken since then. I had mixed feelings. Peeta had declared his love for me. That was what caused me to punch him. Even though he knew I loved Cato, he still tried to help me.

I looked for him. Peeta had gone. Cato had reached me. I waited for death. He grabbed my hand. 'I will protect you.' He pulled me to cornucopia killing anyone in his way. No one dared touch me. No one was in the cornucopia but Clove was approaching quickly. Cato grabbed a load of weapons and even handed me some. Then we ran. We ran into the vast woods.

We must have ran for half an hour before thinking we had cotton far enough. We came to a lake. Cato sat and I sat next to him. I wondered why he had chosen me instead of the careers. 'Why did you save me?' I asked quietly. He turned to me.

'Because you love me.' I looked down to the ground. He began to fiddle around with his knife, making a hole in the ground.

'You didn't have to save me though. You could have left me to die.'

'No I couldn't.' What if it was all a set up? Why would he love me? A girl from the poorest district in Panem.

'Why?' Cato pressed his lips against mine. I kissed back, enjoying the moment. The moment where I felt safe. Cato was going to protect me. He was going to keep me safe. Because he wanted me.

Cato wanted me.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke when the cannon began to fire telling us how many tributes had been killed so far. I counted. Twelve, there was half of us still in the games. In turned to Cato. He looked tired. I put my hand on his. 'You go to sleep now.' He looked at me. He wasn't sure he could trust me but what would I do without him?

'Will you be okay?' He asked with a caring tone. 'Here is a knife.' He handed it to me. I looked down at it, thinking about if I could actually bring myself to use it. I smiled slightly at him. He rested his head and closed his soft eyes.

I looked around the clearing and found myself alone. The woods were quiet. All I could hear were the mockingjays. Then I heard a twig snap. My heart began to race. From the bushes emerged Clove. She glared at me and then to Cato. 'I knew he would go to you. You bitch!' Clove then jumped at me. I heard Cato stir from his sleep. I needed him to help me. I knew if I made one sound she would kill me then and there.

'I'm sorry.' I shouted. That made Cato wake up. He jumped to his feet, knife in hand. Clove glared at him and put a knife to my neck. I gulped. my heart was racing. I didn't want to die without a fight but at that moment I was at the point of death. I had no upper hand in the situation. Cato looked to me. He could see my fear. I started at him.

All of a sudden Clove let go and fell to the ground. A knife had pierced her back. Cato ran to me and held me. Out of the bushes appeared a small black girl. I remember her from training. She had made Cato fight with another tribute because she stole his knife. She was hanging from the ceiling.

He aimed his spear at her. 'No.' I shouted at him. Cato turned to me.

'What?' He said angrily.

'Don't hurt her.' I then stepped over to her. 'She saved us.' The girl looked to me. She reminded me of Prim.

'She might have saved us but she could kill us at any moment.' I stared a th Cato. He wanted to kill the little girl that must have been only twelve or so. It was her first year with her name in the bowl and so far the odds were not in her favour. Cato was not helping her luck.

'Like you could kill me at any moment.' As soon as the words exited my mouth I had wished I had said nothing. That would make Cato think that I didn't trust him. It would make him think about killing me earlier than he already was.

'Katniss...' Cato gazed at me. I could tell he was angry. I took a deep breath.

'I'm sorry.' I said calmly. He looked to the girl and sighed.

'What's your name?' He asked bitterly.

'Rue.' Cato smiled slightly at her.

'Okay you can stay with us, Rue.' She smiled at him and thanked him. Cato walked up to me a hugged me. 'You need to be careful next time. Clive could have killed you.' I hugged him back. When he pulled away he kissed my forehead. It made me calm. As we walked away I heard the cannon go for Clove and when I turned around she was no longer there. I smiled, one less threat. 11 more tributes to kill.

We stopped when we found the lake closest to the cornucopia. We sat around it and drank from the murky water. Like Haymitch had said 'Water is your new best friend.' It was true, we couldn't live without water. Cato turned to me and smiled kindly.

'What weapon suits you best? Knife, sword or bow.' I thought for a moment, wondering if I should give my strength to Cato. That would make it easier for him to kill me. But what if he didn't want to kill me?

'Bow.' I said easily. It just slipped from my mouth. When he smiled it freaked me out a little.

'I know who has that and I know a way to get one step closer to winning as well.' I gulped. I knew what he had in mind. He wanted to kill someone to get my bow. I was against it but I needed the bow to survive.

'And what is that?'

Cato had told me to climb up the tree and wait next to the tracker jacker nest. He would then wait in the bushes and signal to me when to cut it down and unleash the tracker hackers upon the sleeping Glimmer and Marvel. I had convinced Rue to stay behind and meet us at the lake.

When the time came Cato sent me the signal. I took out the saw like knife and began to saw the branch. I could hear the tracker jackers getting agitated. I looked down to Cato but he didn't notice, he was staring at Glimmer and Marvel. I still sawed but when I looked down to see out victims I saw something that I had never wanted to see. It was Peeta.

Peeta. I was going to kill Peeta.


	3. Chapter 3

I stopped sawing. I stared at Peeta. Cato hissed at me. I stared down at him. 'Katniss what are you doing?' He whispered up to me. I hesitated for a moment but then began to saw again. I loved Cato and not Peeta. Peeta was just another tribute. If he got killed I would be doing him a favour. I would be saving him from death by any of the other tributes.

A tracker jacker stung me and I let a little gasp escape my mouth. I tried to bat them away with my hand but they would not budge. I continued to saw, the motivation of the bow kept me going. Another hit me but I persisted. Then it fell. I watched as the three jumped up and tried to run. Peeta and Marvel escaped but Glimmer was caught in the midst of it all. The tracker jackers attacked with force.

I glanced to where Cato was stood and couldn't see him. I couldn't see him near where the tracker jackers had gone. My head began to hurt. I could see the bow though.

I climbed down the tree and hit the ground with a thud. The only thing that was on my mind was the bow. But at that moment I was loosing my mind. Everything was blurry. I grabbed the bow and continued to walk.

I couldn't see straight, I wanted it to stop. I saw something moving towards me. It was Peeta but there were three of him. 'Go Katniss, go on get out of here. Katniss get out of here, go.' I nodded and stumbled away but I blacked out and feel into the leaves.


	4. Chapter 4

I woke to see a young girl touching me. I went into panic mode and scrambled back but stopped when I hit the tree trunk. The girl blinked at me with big bright eyes. Even though I knew her the initial shock was scary. 'How long was I out?' I ask.

'A few days. I changed your leaves twice.' I loosened up.

'Thank you. Any deaths?'

'A girl from 3 and another from 2.'

'And the boy from my district?' Rue thought for a moment and then shook her head.

'He is down by the lake.' Then I breathed a breath of relief. Then Cato popped into my mind.

'Where is Cato?' I asked quickly. Rue shook her head.

'I don't know. He was there when you were sawing but then he wasn't there, I couldn't find him.' I gulped, I needed to find Cato and check he was okay. I handed Rue a leg and she bit into it quickly.

'Where are the supplies?'

'All piled up near the cornucopia.'

'Sounds tempting.' Rue smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

I stopped in front of a pile of leaves. I threw on some more wood and so did Rue. 'Light this one first.' I said turning to her. She nodded but I could see she was scared. 'It'll be okay, I will see you soon.'

'How will I know where to meet you?' I didn't reply. 'Wait. I have an idea.' Then Rue proceeded to whistle a lovely tune. Then it was relayed a thousand times.

'What is that?' I asked.

'Mokingjays.' She said, smiling.

'So I just do that and then we can find each other.' Rue nodded and began to walk towards the first pile of wood.

I ran until I reached my hiding spot, just in view of the goodies and the cornucopia. I saw a boy with a spear that didn't look too threatening and then there was Marvel with Cato in a headlock. Marvel was speaking to Cato with a mean expression.

My heart went into hyper speed. How could I get some supplies and get Cato? Before I could even make a move. Marvel pointed to some thing. I turned and saw smoke, our plan was working.

Marvel told the boy to stay guard and Marvel took Cato. I didn't know what to do.

Cato.

Or.

Rue.

As soon as a Marvel went into the woods Foxface ran from the bushes and started running towards the supplies, but she kept on jumping around something. Then I realized the trap.

The boy spotted Foxface but she was already off into the forest, he followed her.

I pulled my bow out with an arrow and aimed. Then I was jolted forward and the bow fell from my hands. I spun around quickly.


	6. Chapter 6

Cato stood before me, battered and bruised. I fell into his arms, and he held me tight. My breathing was still fast. 'Cato...' I spoke, he quietened me with a kiss.

'KATNISS!' I heard the scream and pulled away. 'KATNISS!'

'That's Rue.' I said. Before running off I fired an arrow to a bag of apples and with my shaky hands missed. Cato calmed me.

'You can do it.' I calmed and steadied myself. I shot another arrow and down went the apples, hitting the ground with a thud. I was thrown back onto Cato, and he softened my fall.

When I sat up I saw the boy with the spear, he was confused. Then Marvel ran to him and almost immediately snapped his neck. I could hear the snap and it scared me. I turned to Cato. 'Rue.' I ran off and he followed.

We followed the screaming but I stopped after three minutes of running. I whistled the tune Rue had taught me and listen for a reply. There was no screaming, and then the whistle was replied. I ran until I found a clearing. She was trapped under a net. 'KATNISS!'

I ran over and Cato handed me a pocket knife. I cut open the net and she stood. She was breathing fast. Then she showed no emotion at all. She lifted her hand and pointed at something. Before I could look I heard a swoosh sound and something had hit her. I spun around and shot an arrow into the killer. Marvel stood for a moment before falling.

I turned back to Rue. She was bleeding too much. She looked faint and almost lifeless. I gulped. 'Rue...' The words lingered on my lips. She carefully pulled the spear before falling, I caught her.

Her hand reaches out and I clutch it like a lifeline. As if it's me who's dying instead of Rue.

'You blew up the food?' She asks. Cato kneels down next to me and rubs Rue's hand.

'Every last bit.' He said slowly.

'You have to win Katniss.' Rue said looking to me and then to Cato. 'Cato wants it too, it's not just me.' Rue manages.

'I'm going to. Going to win for us now, for all of us.' I hear the cannon fire for Marvel. Rue tightens her grip on Cato's hand. Cato squeezes back.

'Don't go.' She says. I can feel the tears beginning to form in my eyes. 'Sing.' I can feel Cato's eyes on me. I lift her head onto my lap and stroke her hair.

I give a small cough, swallow hard, and begin:

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow_  
_A bed of grass, a soft green pillow_  
_Lay down your head, and close your eyes_  
_And when they open, the sun will rise._

_Here it's safe, and here it's warm_  
_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_  
_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_  
_Here is the place where I love you._

Rue's eyes fluttered shut. Her chest moves but only slightly. My tears begin to fall. I have to finish the song for her.

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away_  
_A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray_  
_Forget your woes and let your troubles lay_  
_And when it's morning, they'll wash away._

_Here it's safe, and here it's warm_  
_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

The final lines seem almost inaudible.

_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_  
_Here is the place where I love you._

Cato let's go of her hand and pulls me to him, I am crying hysterically now.

I stand. Cato stares up at me. 'Katniss...'

'Peeta said to me..._Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to ... to show the Capitol they don't own me. That I'm more than just a part of their games._ And I want to show them.'

I march away and find a bunch of wild flowers. I begin picking them and surrounding Rue in them like they symbolize a coffin. She looked peaceful. Then I placed a bouqie in her hands and looked at her. 'Bye Rue.' I said calmly. I then give Cato a look, a look that showed my love for him and my hate for the games.

I kissed my three fingers and raised them at a camera that I spotted. They would have to show me doing this. This was my salut to all of those lost in them god forsaken games. My way to show them _that I'm more than just a part of their games._

I then put my arm down and walk to Cato who holds me close like I want to be, I want to be loved, I want to be his. But we can't, after all there is only one victor and I know that Cato and Peeta will do anything to get me to win, even if they hate each other.


End file.
